Flashbacks
When I was little, we lived in North Chicago, Illinois. My mom was the manager of the apartments where we lived. She drove a blue Ford Fairmount. My youngest aunt, who is twelve years older than me, used to visit during the summers. I don't remember this, but there's a picture of us sitting on the front stoop. Well, she's sitting blowing bubbles and I'm chasing them.
The apartment building had an outside door with a foyer and then an inside door. I remember I was so little I couldn't reach the outside doorknob, so if I was outside playing with the neighbor kids, one of them had to open the door to let me back inside. Finally one day I was big enough to reach the doorknob. It was pretty exciting.
Miranda and her two brothers would play with me. She would roller skate up the sidewalk and share her Tangy Taffy with me. I liked the grape kind the best. She also taught me how to write numbers. I can't remember how much older she was but she taught me how to write a 4 when I wanted to write my age.
We had a big party for my fourth birthday. My grandparents and my youngest aunt traveled from Missouri for the week and stayed with us. I had a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake and decorations and I got a Ken doll. I also got a croquet set and there are pictures of me and my friends playing croquet out in the front yard area of the apartment complex.
I remember before the party my mom tried to give me a bath, but I wouldn't get in the tub. My mom tried everything to get me in the tub, but I cried and wouldn't. My aunt even got in the tub fully clothed with me but I managed to get out. My aunt even took my Sea-Wee* dolls and tried to show me they were okay in the tub, but that didn't matter.
I was scared I'd go down the drain, see. Like the Scrubbing Bubbles in the commercial.
And so, because I'd frustrated my aunt and made my mom a nervous wreck, I got the spanking of my life from my grandmother. On my bare butt, no less.
And I finally got that bath.
I just realised something. That was 25 years ago.
Yikes.
****
I need to write more of this stuff down, because as I get older, I remember less and less of my childhood. And that makes me sad.
*for more info on Sea-Wee dolls:
These are the dolls I had:
The apartment building had an outside door with a foyer and then an inside door. I remember I was so little I couldn't reach the outside doorknob, so if I was outside playing with the neighbor kids, one of them had to open the door to let me back inside. Finally one day I was big enough to reach the doorknob. It was pretty exciting.
Miranda and her two brothers would play with me. She would roller skate up the sidewalk and share her Tangy Taffy with me. I liked the grape kind the best. She also taught me how to write numbers. I can't remember how much older she was but she taught me how to write a 4 when I wanted to write my age.
We had a big party for my fourth birthday. My grandparents and my youngest aunt traveled from Missouri for the week and stayed with us. I had a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake and decorations and I got a Ken doll. I also got a croquet set and there are pictures of me and my friends playing croquet out in the front yard area of the apartment complex.
I remember before the party my mom tried to give me a bath, but I wouldn't get in the tub. My mom tried everything to get me in the tub, but I cried and wouldn't. My aunt even got in the tub fully clothed with me but I managed to get out. My aunt even took my Sea-Wee* dolls and tried to show me they were okay in the tub, but that didn't matter.
I was scared I'd go down the drain, see. Like the Scrubbing Bubbles in the commercial.
And so, because I'd frustrated my aunt and made my mom a nervous wreck, I got the spanking of my life from my grandmother. On my bare butt, no less.
And I finally got that bath.
I just realised something. That was 25 years ago.
Yikes.
****
I need to write more of this stuff down, because as I get older, I remember less and less of my childhood. And that makes me sad.
*for more info on Sea-Wee dolls:
These are the dolls I had: